Device for handling dates, dried fruit, and the like.



I E. M. STILES. DEVICE FOR HANDLING DATES, DRIED FRUIT, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

Patented Nov. 5,1912.

Beit known that I, EnwAin) M.

EDWARD M. STILES, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, IOWA.

DEVICE FOR HANDLING DATES, DRIED FRUIT, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed January 2, 1912. Serial No. 669,033.

To all whom it may concern:

STILES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Henry and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Handling Dates, Dried Fruit, and the Like,'of which the following is a specifica tion; a

This invention relates to improvements in devices, particularly adapted, though not necessarily limited in its use, for handling dates and by means of which the articles may be readily removed from the bulk and placed into packages, without the hand of the operator coming into cont-act with the articles.

It is a well knownfact that dates are put up in boxes generally oblong, and that five sides of the box are removed to expose the dates sothat ready access may be had there to. Hereto-fore it has been customary to sever the dates from the bulk bymeans of a date pick in connection with which it is necessai'y for the operator to employ his free hand for assisting the pick in remo-ving'the dates, Which is not sanitary. It is onev of the objects-of the presentin vention to provide an improved device by in the features of novelty the invention, and in whichmeans of which the dates may be readily severed from the bulk and placed into a. bag or receptacle without coming in contact with the hands of the operator.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the aocompanying. -drawing exemplifying Figure 1 is'a top plan View of'an improved device of, this class constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device view taken on line'33, Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing and in the form shown, "thedevice consists primarily of a scoop which may be of any desired size and configuration, and constructed of any suitable material. The body of the scoop comprises a base and sides 5 which are constructed of spaced tines or prongs 10. These tines or prongs are conshown in Fig. 1 ;-Fig. 3 isa sectional of any suitable thin sheet material which serves as a back for the scoop and also as a means for holding the tines 0r prongs in proper position and spaced with respect to each other. The free extremities of the tines are pointed or sharpened as at 12 to permittheir ready insertion into the bulk of the articles. The back 11 has connected with it in any suitable manner, a handle 13 by means of which the tool may be transported or manipulated.

Slidably supported in any suitable manner, so that it may be moved freely within the scoop, is an ejector 14, preferably in the form of a solid plate which is of a size to substantially fill the space within the tines and prongs, and this ejector 14:

ably deflected as at 16 .to form a stop. This I hand-1e 15 may be of any desired length, but is preferably of such a length that when the'ej ector 14 reaches the free extremities ofthe tines or. prongs 10, the deflected extremity 16 of the handle will abut the end member 11 toform a stop for the ejector. If desired, the ejector may be provided with suitable apertures 17, any number of which may be provided and through which the tines or prongs loosely pass so that. they will form a guide and. support for-the;-

ejector. Obviously, these apertures or openingsgmay be omitted, if desired, as the L ejector will be'reta-ine'd: in position by means the edges of the l. ejector, and the handle 15 which slides through the'end member '11. In use,and.j1.0-6

of the tines engagin assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the operator grasps handle 15 which will hold the ejector l i position, it being understood that the e ector 14 is first positioned by the operator according to-the amount of the article it is de:

sired toremove from the bulk.- V

The operator then forces the tool or device into the bulk'of the dates, this operation being readily accomplished owing to the fact that the points of the times or prongs are sharp, and when the tool has the handle 13 and may also grasp been inserted, a suflicient distance into the bulk of the article, a portion of the bulk may be readily removed, and will be retained in the tool. still held by the tool, the operator may then insert the end of the tool or device into the dispensed, and if the required amount is not taken up by the tool or device in the first operation, the operation maybe repeated until the desired amount has been removed.

Obviously, the operator may position the ejector at any point in the scoop, and when positioned, will be held against accidental adjustment by the hand of the operator with which he grips the handle 13.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a scoop-shaped body, comprising. spaced prongs straight throughout their entire length, an end member with which the prongs are connected, a handle connected with said end member, an ejector 'within the scoop and a handle connected w1th the ejector, the last recited handle havmg a shdable bearing in the end member,

said bearing being disposed entirely within the peripheral edge of the end member and spaced some distance from the said edge at all points of the edge for protecting and holding the second recited handle out of engagement with the commodity in any position of the tool.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a scoop-shaped body comprising spaced prongs straight throughout their entire length, an end member with which the prongs are connected, a handle connected with the said end member, an ejector within the scoop, and a handle connected with the ejector, the last said handle being substantially parallel with the first When the articles are face of the prongs, and

recited handle and extending through the spacedfor some distance from the peripheral edge of the member at all points of the said edge for holding the second recited handle out of contact with the commodity in any position of the tool, the second recited handle being spaced'from the first said handle and in a position to be grasped by the operator when the first recited handle is gras ed.

3. In a device of the classdescri ed, the combination of a scoop shaped body, comprising spaced prongs straight throughout their-entire length, and an end member with which the prongs are connected, an ejector within the scoop and a handle connected with the ejector, the'said handle having a sliding bearing 'in the end member,'sa1d bearing being'disposed entirely within the peripheral edge of the end member,wand spaced some points of the edge for protecting the handle and holding it out of contact w1th the commodity in any position of the tool. 1

4. In a device of the class described, the combination ofa body upon the surface'of which thearticles are supported, the body comprising s aced sharpened prongs straight throng out their entire length and an end portion with which the prongs are connected, and which an angle to the prongs to project beyond the a handle connected with the ejector, the said handle having a sliding engagement with the said end portion and passing loosely therethrough, said ejector being disposed substantiall within the lane formed by the periphera ,edge of.

the ody and end portion and said handle being also disposed within said edge and spaced from the'ed- Witnessesr THOMAS H. S'r'mns, MARY I. STILESp on this 26th day.

end member at "a point entirely within and distance from said edge at all:

portion is arranged at 

